Power winch



Jan. 24, 1950 R. G. VLE TOURNEAU 2,495,463

POWER wmcu Filed March l3, 1945 1 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR R. G. LeYZurheau BY mbvwwl/ ATTORNEYS Jan. 24, 1950 R. c. LE TOURNEAU 2,495,463

POWER WINCH Filed March 13, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR R. GleTourneau,

BY M ML A TORNEYS Patented Jan. 24, 1950' POWER WINCH Robert 6. Le Tonrnean, Peoria, Ill., assignor to 13,. G. be 'lournean, Ina, Stockton, Calif a corporation of California Application March 13, 1945, Serial No. 582,491

3 Claims. 1

This invention has for an object the provision of an improved power winch. and in particular a power winch adapted to be tractor mounted and actuated; tractor-mounted power winches being commonly known to the trade as power control units.

Another object of this invention is to provide a power winch which comprises a cable drum turnably mounted on a driven shaft; there being a novel clutch unit incorporated in one end 1 of the-drum and operative to couple the shaft to said drum in driving relation to the latter, such clutch, in the present embodiment, being fluid pressure actuated.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a power winch, as in the preceding paragraph, in which the drum is formed at its outer end with an enlarged cylindrical housing in which the clutch unit is mounted; such housing including a removable outer end plate which permits of easy access to the clutch unit for ready maintenance or repair.

An additional object is to provide a power winch comprising a driven shaft projecting outwardly from a supporting case and having a cable drum turnably mounted on the projecting part of said shaft, the outer end of the cable drum being formed as a cylindrical clutch housing in which a clutch unit is mounted, said clutch unit being operative to couple the shaft to the I drum in driving relation to the latter; the inner endof the cable drum being formed as a brake drum, and a brake assembly surrounding said brake drum in cooperative relation, the brake assembly being controlled through the medium of a fluid pressure actuated power cylinder mounted in protected relation within said supporting case.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims. I

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the power winch.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the 2 brake drum and brake assembly associated therewith.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the mounting of the brake assembly control cylinder.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the power winch comprises an outwardly projecting case i adapted to be formed in connection with an upstanding wall 2 of a tractor frame or housing. and through which wall 2 a power take-off shaft 3 projects, and which shaft isyadapted to be selectively and reversibly driven from the tractor engine in conventional manner.

The case i includes a removable front plate 4 held in place about its perimeter by means of cap screws 5. A heavy-duty shaft 6 extends through the case i in spaced but parallel relation to the power take-off shaft 3; said shaft 6 being journaled in the wall 2, as at I, and journaled in the front plate 4, as at 8.

Within the case i the shaft 6 is fitted with a drive gear 9 which runs in mesh with a pinion In on the power take-off shaft 3. The gear 9 is disposed some distance rearwardly of front plate 4 in order to provide room for the mounting of a brake assembly control power cylinder, as will hereinafter appear in detail.

The shaft 6 projects outwardly of the front plate 4 a. substantial distance, as at H, and a cable drum I2 is turnably mounted on said projecting part II of the shaft by means of axially spaced, combination annular andthrust bearings At its outer end the cable drum I 2 is formed with an enlarged cylindrical clutch housing i4 which includes a circular outer end plate I! removably attached by means of a peripheral row of cap screws i6, there being a spacer ring i1 directly beneath the peripheral portion of the outer end plate i 5. A fluid pressure actuated clutch unit is mounted in the cylindrical housing i4 and functions to couple the shaft 6 in driving relation to the cable drum II, in the following manner:

The projecting part II of shaft 6 is reduced in diameter at its outer end to form a neck I 8 on which a radially extending piston plate It is slldably mounted; the neck being turnable in the plate. Between the piston plate I9 and the bottom of the cylindrical housing I4, which is formed as a clutch face 20, there is interposed a disc clutch mechanism 2| which includes a disc 22 splined on the shaft part II, as at 23', for sliding movement therealong. Suitable seals 24 are disposed between the neck I8 and the piston plate II, and between the shaft part II and the inner wall of the cable drum I2, while a, further seal 25 of generally diaphragm type is connected between the piston plate I9 and the clutch housing Il, being engaged between the outer end plate II and the ring II. The space between the outer end plate I5 and the piston plate I! provides a pressure chamber 28, to which fluid under pres- Upon introduction of pressure into the chamber 23 from the bore 21, the piston plate I9 is urged inwardly, clamping the disc clutch mechanism 2| between said piston plate I9 and clutch face 20, thereby coupling the disc 22 in driving relation to the clutch housing I4. In this manner the shaft 6 is coupled in driving relation to the cable drum I2.

Fluid pressure is introduced into the shaft bore 21 from within the entire mechanism by means of a fluid pressure conduit 28 behind the wall 2, and which conduit leads to a cap 29 formed with said wall 2 in communication with the rear end of shaft 6. A seal 30 prevents leakage from the cap 29. Fluid under pressure is adapted to be fed through conduit 28 from a valve controlled pres- I sure system on the tractor, and which system includes a. hand valve adjacent the operators station.

At its rear end the cable drum I2 isformed with an enlarged brake drum 3| about which a lined brake band assembly 32 engages, said brake band assembly being supported from the case I by op- 34. Within the case I the shaft 35 is fitted with an elongated dependent lever 31, to the lower end of which a tension spring 38 is connected, said tension spring normally urging the lever 31 in a direction to apply the brake. A fluid pressure actuat'ed power cylinder 39 is mounted on the back of front plate 4 of case I with the piston rod of said cylinder connected by a clevis ll to the lever 31 intermediate the ends of the latter. The power cylinder 33 is positioned so that upon introduction of fluid pressure thereinto. and resultant the cable anchor shown in co-pending application, Serial No. 566,132, filed December 1, 1944,

now Patent No. 2,374,111, dated April 17, 1945.

From the cable drum I2 the cable 44 leads to 'sembly.

When the cable has been wound onto the cable drum I2 to the desired extent, the clutch is released and immediately the brake locks the cable advance of the piston rod 40 the lever 31 is swung in a direction to release thebrake. Fluid pressure is fed to the power cylinder 39 through the medium of a conduit 42 which connects with a fitting 43 extending through the front plate 4 into said cylinder. The fluid pressure in conduit 42 iscontrolled by a valve adjacent the operator's station on the tractor.

A cable is connected to the cable drum I2 in any suttable manner, as for example by means of drum I2 against rotation in an unwinding direction. To unwind the-cable from the cable drum I2 by a pull on the cable, or drive of shaft 6 in the corresponding direction, the brake is flrst released by energizing the power cylinder 39,

While the present invention may conveniently be embodied in a multiple-drum power winch, it is here described, for the purpose of clarity and s mplicity, as incorporated in a single-drum power winch.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. A winch comprising an enclosed housing, a shaft journaled in the housing and projecting exteriorly beyond one wall thereof, means to drive said shaft, a cable drum mounted for rotation on said shaft outside said housing, means to respectively clutch or declutch the drum into and out of driving relation with the shaft at a point outside the housing, a brake on the cable drum at a point outside the housing, and means enclosed within the housing and operatively connected with said brake to control the functioning thereof, such brake including a brake drum, a split brake band on the drum, a pair of opposed links, one end of each link being pivotally connected to one free end of the band, respectively, one link at its other end being pivotally mounted on the housing, a lever pivotally connected to the other end of the other link, a shaft fixed to thelever and projecting into the housing, the brake operating means within the housing being connected to the last named shaft and operable to turn the same.

2. A winch comprising an enclosed housing, a shaft journaled in the housing and projecting exteriorly beyondone wall thereof, means to drive said shaft, a cable drum mounted for rotation on said shaft outside of said housing, means to respectively clutch or declutch the drum into and out of driving relation with the shaft at a point outside the housing, a brake drum on the cable drum at a point outside the housing, a split brake band on the brake drum, a pair of opposed links, one end of each link being pivotally connected to one free end of the band, respectively, one link at its other end being pivotally mounted on the housing, a lever on the other end of the other link, a shaft on the lever projecting into the housing, an elongated dependent lever fixed to the last named shaft within the housing, and means within the housing to operate said dependent lever to effect turning of such last named shaft.

3. A device as in claim 2 in which the last named means includes a means to positively push the elongated lever in one direction and a spring to pull it in the opposite direction.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in -the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Merritt Feb. 10. 1885 Number Number 5 Number 

